Delivered by Assistant Resident Representative A.I., Kimberley Wilson on behalf of UNDP Resident Representative, Kishan Khoday
 

Wednesday, 24 April 2024 | City of Hamilton, City Hall, Bermuda

Salutations
•    Honourable Tinee Furbert, JP, MP, Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors
•    Mr. Charles R. Gosling, J.P., Mayor of Hamilton, Bermuda 
•    Mrs. Valerie Robinson-Jones, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors
•    Distinguished guests 
 

A pleasant good morning. 

I bring you greetings on behalf of United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Resident Representative Kishan Khoday who is unavoidably absent. He has asked me to share a few words on this auspicious occasion.  

Today, we celebrate the Government of Bermuda’s bold step in accelerating efforts to increase access to information and services; advance inclusive development; and create an enabling environment so that all persons with a disability who dare to dream of contributing more fulsomely to their personal development and their country have that opportunity to do so. 

Bermuda has taken another important step in highlighting its commitment to promoting the voice and participation of vulnerable populations including an estimated 3,000 Bermudians with a disability, through the launch of this groundbreaking National Disability Register Application. 

This centralized platform for collecting, storing, and managing crucial data on persons with disabilities provides a user-friendly interface that facilitates electronic registration and verification of critical data for Persons with Disabilities. UNDP is of the firm view that the benefits will be monumental. 

For policymakers, service providers, and researchers, the register will provide accurate and up-to-date data on the prevalence and characteristics of disabilities in Bermuda, to guide evidence-based decision-making.
In the next phase, persons with disabilities will have access to a wide range of accessibility services tailored to their demands and needs.

UNDP has been pleased to provide technical and financial support for this important facility in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors. Minister Furbert, I applaud you and your team’s progressive vision for inclusive development anchored on expanding access to opportunities for those conventionally left behind. 

Persons with Disabilities have a right to contribute to policies and decisions which both directly and indirectly affect them. Consequently, collectively, we must systematically dismantle barriers which prevent their meaningful participation in national development efforts.  

One billion persons or a fifth of the world’s population experience disabilities, of which 80% reside in developing countries.

In Bermuda, the unique geography and the varied needs of the community exacerbates challenges related to accessing life-saving information and resources; voice and participation on policy and legislation; and access to social and economic benefits.

In times of crisis, Persons with Disabilities are often hardest hit and easily overlooked. They are disproportionately impacted by  unemployment and other social issues  which limit their ability to contribute to national development processes and realizing their personal dreams.

Our continued investments in widening their access to social and economic resources will contribute to creating innovative, critical thinking change-makers and thought leaders who can help redefine the 21st century.

To this end, we must strengthen and expand partnerships on solutions to build a more sustainable and resilient world that champions their contribution to development. 

Only recently UNDP successfully partnered with the Government of The Bahamas on the Accessibility app which has brought job listings, geotagging for crisis relocation, deaf interpretation, and soon, accessible transportation for persons with disabilities in that country.  We have been pleased to commission the app developer, Mr. Conville Brown to uniquely tailor this trailblazing innovation to the needs of Bermudians. Please give him a round of applause as we celebrate the rise of home-grow, innovative, Caribbean centric solutions from our very own people to address our development challenges. 

Inclusive partnerships must leverage and adapt appropriate technology to accelerate our shared aspirations and to level the playing field. Therefore, facilitating access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is a great equalizer and life changer. 

This is why UNDP regards digitization as an important enabler of our global mission to end poverty, inequality and exclusion while building resilience to crisis. Our Global Digital Strategy outlines our commitment to inclusive design that can empower vulnerable populations.  

Furthermore, UNDP plays a crucial role in advocating for the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities on a global scale and is available to provide guidance on policies and programmes that promote equal opportunities and accessibility. 

UNDP Multi Country Office in Jamaica’s Social Resilience & Inclusion Portfolio is anchored on these important principles. Our partnership with the government of Bermuda on the Disabilities Register is therefore perfectly aligned to our country programme and values, and perfectly poised to help achieve SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Notably, inclusive development is not only critical to achieving the nation’s digital transformation agenda, but also Bermuda’s Economic Development Strategy, and its broader vision 2030 plans aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNDP would like  to commend the Government of Bermuda for your heightened efforts to create an enabling environment where persons with disabilities feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. 
It has been our honour to partner with Minister Furbert and the team from Ageing and Disabilities Services in expanding this stellar work. We are available to support any future digitization and inclusive development solutions that ensure development outcomes are enjoyed by all.   

I urge all persons with disabilities to partner with your government on this important initiative by attending the registration drives. In so doing you ensure your government is better positioned to tailor fit for purpose services and policies to improve your lives. 

Let us recall the words of president Barrack Obama who said: “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek”.

Thank you.